Casehardened rubber pitting chuck



06L 1952 G w. ASHLOCK, JR 2,614,594

CASEHARDENED RUBBER FITTING CHUCK Filed Oct. 27, 1950 IN V EN TOR. George M Ash/oak AT ENEYS arm 4- A 015M553 0F 77/: F

Patented Oct. 21, 1952 some portionpf the hill stone -is' removed hy ,forceful'f application 'of fa knlf V such fruit is notlilni'tedto these chucks'for it is applicable generally to fruit pitting chucks.

"The-"fruit spitting chucks generally comprise a base'having a cavity therein providing a fruit re cepta'cle'which can take various forms,tbein gen-Q erally spherical orfconoidal in configuration to' provide support for the fruit duringprientation andpitting". To"ensurethatthe fruit ca'ni be turned-readily into a' "desired position in the chuck, as 'b'yany'of the usual orienting force applying' means,

', such'fas a contained one carirefer" to my Patents 2,2 095305 2314;862 a d 2,528,294ffor typical showings or" pitting chucks; the inventio'nQhoWevr;

, non-tacky and c of which those shown'in Patents 1 1,742,653 2,288,062*2,296,490 and 2,406,31 1 are typicaljit h'a's-beenusual to wet the rubber chuck" with various-materials such as water containing a"wettiii agent, as is "disclosed in Patent No.- 2,308,033, or withwaterandan edible oil, as is dis closed in Patent2,123,644: I

I have observed thateverrthough' the rubber pitting-chuck was 'lubr'icated with one" of*the aforementioned"lubricants, even then the chuck,

aftera period o'f prolonged use, did not permit th'e fruit-to be oriented'asreadily as when the chuck was-new; the percentageof fruit attaining'a final desired position beingil'ss thanthat achieved with' a like' machine utiliaing new rubber fpitting chucks. lhis was observed by utilizing two identi callnachines' except that one was" equipped with a new *ruloher' pitting" chucks and"- the other' had chucks whichhadbeenutilized fora considerable period of time, the two machines being fed from the samebatch of fruit lot's'o'thatthere wa's no difference inithe feed. Inf'the caseof the new" chucksg the percentager'of fruitturned into "a 'de-" sire'd'iposition was-materially -higher thaninthe fruit ha'ndled 'in th old chucks. Upon-further examination, 1 determined 'thateven in the'presence of the wetting agents or othersubstances i I utilized to I maintain the chu'cks wet orientation of the fruit, the chuckspick u'p a waxy substance froin'the fruit-surface, which substance adheres to the surface ofthe cavi-ty-"in the rubber chucks, fillingthe pores and increasing the frictic-nor thefrditin the cavity during orientation even though the cavity is main various lubricants? :Apparently thesurface of the rubberl cavity is relatively porous. and the waxy;

coating on the fruit surface enters into the rubberandprovides a contact film havinga relatively".highucoefiicient of frictionswith the-fruit.

at 'room ternperature'for' period cr qjt 1 UNITED STATES; PATENT; 0FrFlEi;

' 2,e14,594--- f v fcAsEfiARneNEuanncsanarmc cficek* George W. 'Ashlock,-";Ir.,"0akland, Calif: Applicationioctober'z'l, msmi'seriamo; 192,619."

1 Claim? (01. 146-19) remembered *thafisuefimach'fies do'iiot uponffresh hiatus-upon ha b prccesseuiand'has-*been -retaniea i 4 p asjla-cal ciufnhyposulphiteisolutio tively'l'ong fierfod of i a wax in thefruit to have been sapdniiiedor wise"altjers'ad' by such treatrnent andfto -h'av'e rer'rl'ovecl-long"prio'r,totheffruit"being subjected Pi e H u l j t v I have-determinedfthatthe surface-bf thefch cavity "can be modified to provideflonewhic ontinues to have a rel tively lovVco-fficieht {of friction by a' che case-hardening. ,Thisisachievd yfo i rubber pitting "chuck" in an de' compounding and"thenv'ulcani g the' the usual manner,and thereafters'ubjecti'n least the cavity to thefcase hardeningi actiori pf various'chemicals' f One 'broadclassofca se hard time and, if desired,

viding' an oxidizing solution'such as the alkaline hypfo'chlorides. Forexamplefa-trea me t with a 2%sohitidnof'i'sodiun'ihypochloricw r.

utes, for"' 'a treatment" withjjl'a 1,0 so sodiuh'ihy'pochlorite foraperiod of'ap'pr followed by:

amaus uasa 3%? arnr'fioniuinhydroxid'e solutio desired sur ace; Ii a irm etvigar'eas; applicati desired, the hypochlo tesolution -can be acidifie 'w to makeitmore-active'.- V One can also utilizfelother oxidizin'g-substances f such 'as potassium dichromatez specifically a neutral saturated fso lution of potassium dichro i mate and water was appliedto the-rubber pitting chucks for a period--of -about 20-minutes,'rthe-; chucks then being-rinsed iorafewminutes'with" I a 3% solution-ofammohium hyd-roxide. Afreduc-r". tion' in-'-the time of'treatment can be' efiectedby treating the rubberchucksavith an aqueous solu tion of chromic acid, oupotassium d-ichromate'and sulfuric acid. Onecan-alsoutilize hydrogen -pe oxide inwater solution; the'treatment timavarying with the-strength of;.the-so1ution.---- 1 As other oxidizing agents useful in'-'-providingthe desired case hardening 1 on-the chuck- =sur-r face,;-one can utilize a hydrogen halide-sucl as hydrogen chloride, applying this as agas o un 1 der such condition thatit is aliquid: 'Ihesame affect can besecuredby-application oj what: a classify as strong mineral aci ds such as acid, sulfuric acid hydrochloric acid-,=- i;chrqmic example,'utilizing a mixture of 80 parts of concentrated nitric acid and parts of concentrated a period approximating five seconds. If a relatively long period, for example, of the order of five minutes is employed, then the articles become too hard and the surfaces cracked.

By treating the rubber pitting chucks to provide them with a case hardened surface, I have been able to provide a substantially constant become deeply degree of orientation which did not diminish as the chucks became older, as is the case with untreated chucks. By the term case hardened surface, I mean a rubber pitting chuck wherein only the surface of the rubber chuck has been affected and the rubber interior of the chuck remains unchanged and unaffected, the treatment being limited to a depth of from 0.001 to about 0.003inch and usually not 'in excess of 0.005 inch. One can treat the entire chuck or merely the cavity, as desired, to provide the smooth, wax-impervious surface. Those skilled in the art can readily suit the period of. contact and solution strength to provide the case hard ened cavity surface.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof,.I have illustrated a typical environment in which the invention can be utilized. In-the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing a fruit pitting chuck assembly.

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the fruit pitting chuck of the present invention, in conjunction with, suitable means Each sheet I! includes a series of suitable fruit receiving receptacles I8 each receptacle may be cut or slotted as at I9 to permit the functioning of the orienting mechanismshown in my Patents Nos. 2,212,892 and 2,212,893, wherein rod-like members are extended through the slots to apply a turning or rotative force to the fruit.

sulfuric acid, the rubber chucks were dipped for for turning the fruit into a position wherein it is in a desired position of alignment.

Figure 4 is a section along the line 4-'i of t Figure 1, illustrating orientation of a cherry or the like into a desiredposition of alignment.

Thefruit pitting device of the present invention comprises a structure generally indicated at 10 and adapted to be mounted between opposite conveyor chains II in the manner disclosedxin my aforementionedPatents 2,157,518 and 2,219,832, the chains being movable to convey fruit positioned upon the fruit pitting chuck to suitable pitting mechanism such as that disclosed in said patents. Each chuck is made up of a metal base plate 12, the plate being in the form of a channel and secured by bolts 13 to a bracket 14 extendingfrom each of the conveyor chains in a well-known manner.

b Each plate l 2 includes a plurality of apertures 16. These are usually circular in cross sectionbut their form can be varied so long as it does not interfere with the functioningof the mechanism utilized to'process the fruit, such as the aforementioned pitting mechanism.

To provide for actual reception of the fruit to be carried and processed, I provide a facing sheet I! of a suitable resilient material such as natural rubber, which has been treated, as previously described. The facing sheet I! is preferably fiat on its upper face so that when a plurality of individual pitting devices. It are attached between the conveyor chains H, they form a fiat continuous work surface with the rubber facing sheet uppermost.

Such a force can also be applied by mechanisms as are shown in my Patents 2,213,893, 2,296,490, 2,387,709, and 2,406,311. In addition, the slots permit the use of knives, saws or the like to sever the fruit subsequently, as desired.

Each receptacle 18 includes an aperture 2! provided adjacent the bottom thereof to permit the fruit pit or stone to be ejected. Inaddition, the bottom of each receptacle I8 isformed with a depending portion '28 which fits snugly against the sides of plate I2 and which define the aperture IE to lend support to that portion of the receptacle which extends across the aperture 18. Also, the face 22, defining the bottom portion of the receptacle extending across the aperture 16, is made slightly concave to provide resilient support for the aperture 18.

Each facing sheet I! is positioned detachably on the base plate 12 by a plurality of pins 21, pressed into the base plate and which extend upwardly therefrom into suitable apertures formed in the resilient facing strip 11, four pins are preferably provided about each receptacle, the pins being spaced apart.

Referring particularly to Figure 3, I have shown suitable fruit orienting means of the type generally disclosed in my Patent 2,406,311. This means comprises a plurality of toothed rods 3| rotatably mounted in a cross-member 32, which is slidableupon guides 33 attached to each plate 52. When a toothed rod 31 is projected upwardly to withinthe cavity 18 by suitable driving engagement of wheels 35 and sliding of member 32 upon rods 33, the fruit is engaged, as is disclosed in my Patent 2,406,311, and is turned until the dimpled end of the fruit is down. One can, of course, use other orienting means, as I have indicated, in place of that herein disclosed, to apply an orienting force to the fruit; such a force can be applied by any of the known orienting devices to which I have heretofore made reference such as rotatable pins or wheels or the vibrating rods.

In the drawings, I have indicated at 38 the surface of the chuck which is case'hardened in accordance with the present invention.

I claim:

A vulcanized rubber fruit chuck having a cavity therein to receive and retain a fruit during orientation and pitting thereof, the surface defining said cavity being provided by oxidized layer of vulcanized rubber and a thin having a mirror-like finish which is non-adherent and impervious to any natural wax and sugar on the surface of fruit oriented and pitted while in the cavity.

GEORGE W. ASI-ILOCK JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

